


safety in numbers

by harpers_mirror (SapphireBryony)



Series: Sing Me to Sleep [3]
Category: Wolf 359 (Radio)
Genre: Gen, Sad Fluff, because god knows they need it, post-ep for Sécurité, whole-crew snuggle pile
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2016-03-17
Packaged: 2018-05-27 05:42:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6272050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphireBryony/pseuds/harpers_mirror
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Looking around at the others - Minkowski hovering miserably next to him, Hilbert next to the door,  even more stoically surly than normal with his arms crossed and brow furrowed, Lovelace leaning against the wall across from the bed and managing to look both furious and exhausted - Doug chuckled uneasily. </p><p>'Anyone else kind of afraid to go back out there?'"</p><p>(or, five scared people hold the world's tamest slumber party)</p>
            </blockquote>





	safety in numbers

“Well! This is going to be...interesting.” With that, Eiffel fell silent and stared worriedly around the Commander’s quarters.

They all hover-sat in an increasingly tense silence, feeling the weight of everything that had happened settling in around them like a smothering blanket. Everything was _wrong_ and that wrongness itched at Doug’s skin and made him twitchy. 

This wasn’t what coming home was supposed to feel like. 

He glanced at Minkowski’s hand resting on the bed next to him and wished she hadn’t let go of his when Hilbert and the captain had entered the room. He wondered if she’d pull away if he touched her again. He resisted the urge to find out. 

Looking around at the others - Minkowski hovering miserably next to him, Hilbert next to the door, even more stoically surly than normal with his arms crossed and brow furrowed, Lovelace leaning against the wall across from the bed and managing to look both furious and exhausted - Doug chuckled uneasily. 

“Anyone else kind of afraid to go back out there? Risk running into the space-crazy denizens of the USS Interloper?” 

Lovelace snorted. “What, you aren’t thrilled at the prospect of another scintillating round of threats and creepily dehumanizing metaphors? Shocker.” She stretched and sighed. “Right there with you. But we can’t hide in here forever, as appealing as that sounds. For one thing," she continued, glancing at Renée, “Minkowski might want to go to bed at some point.” 

Eiffel turned to look at his commander. “Well boss? You throwing us out? Gonna banish me to my own quarters all by myself on my first night back?” He stopped rambling to wince at both the whiny tone that filled his voice and also at the unfortunate implications of what he’d said. “I mean, uh...” 

Minkowski cut him off. “You guys can stay. I honestly don’t care one way or the other.” She blushed and gave her shoes her full attention. “It might be kind of nice not to be alone. Too much of that lately.” By the time she finished speaking, her entire face was tomato-red. 

Despite everything, despite the trauma of the day, of the last six months, despite his own weary frustration at life, Doug Eiffel grinned. “So say we all, Commander.” He looked over at Lovelace. “Whaddaya say, Captain? Slumber party?” 

She eyed him suspiciously. “Eiffel, if this is some bizarre attempt at hitting on me, I swear to god you’ll live to regret it. Not _long,_ but long enough.” 

“...there’s really very little I can say in response that won’t land me in hot water, I think. So moving on. Hera? You there, darlin’?” 

It took a moment before she answered, and when she did she sounded reluctant. “I’m here Officer Eiffel.” 

Ignoring her hesitation, he smiled up at the nearest camera. “Wanna attend your first-ever sleepover? It might lose a little something in the translation since neither of us has any hair to braid or any nails to paint at the moment, but you’re welcome to hang.” 

“I- I...are you sure you want me here? I mean...” Hera trailed off as all the smiles in the room faded at the sound of the fear in her voice. “I mean when you can’t even trust me anymore?” 

Doug pushed off the bed and hung in the air next to the camera, wrapping his arms around it. “Babe, that’s crazy talk. No matter what those murderous whackjobs have done to you, I will _always_ want you around. No question about it. We’re all in this together.” He kissed the camera’s lens and the others looked away, feeling like they were intruding on something private. 

“Okay. If - if you’re sure, Officer Eiffel.” 

“Absolutely, positively, 100% sure, sweetheart.” 

Hera didn’t speak again, but soft music began to drift through her speakers and she automatically lowered the lights. 

Satisfied that his best girl was sufficiently reassured, Eiffel let go of the camera and made his way back down to sit beside Minkowski. As he did, he noticed Hilbert drifting surreptitiously toward the hatch. 

“Doc? You braving the wild blue yonder out there?” 

Hilbert jerked, not expecting anyone to notice his departure or comment on it. “Ah...I thought it best that I return to my own rooms for the evening. I assumed that you - “ His gaze flicked guiltily to Lovelace and she raised an eyebrow, daring him to say something, “-would not want me to stay. That you would not feel safe closing your eyes in the presence of 'the bad guy.'” Hilbert’s voice spiraled down into a bitter growl at the end of the sentence. 

“We-ellll...” Doug glanced first at Minkowski, who shrugged, and then at Lovelace, who met his gaze levely but without a hint of her opinion on the matter. “It seems like some things changed while I was away, and I’m still figuring out which bits of the status are still quo, but if these guys don’t object, it’s fine by me. You’re definitely not the worst villain in this little cautionary tale anymore.” 

Hilbert glanced at Lovelace again, who regarded him for a moment. 

“Keep your distance,” she finally said. 

Misunderstanding, Hilbert sighed and turned back to the hatch. 

_“No,_ Doctor, you can stay," she clarified. "Just...keep your distance. If I wake up and find you spooning me in the middle of the night, we will have words. And most of _yours_ will consist of ‘oh god, the pain, the pain.’” 

Hilbert eyed her from across the room. “Understood, Captain.” He moved away from the door to hover awkwardly in the corner furthest from Isabel’s spot near the floor. 

The look on Minkowski’s face indicated that she was starting to wonder if letting them all stay was really such a good idea, but she sighed, shook her head, and grabbed her pajamas. “Hilbert, avert your eyes.” 

Once she was changed, she crawled into bed, looking hesitantly at the others. Lovelace drifted over and gestured at Eiffel. 

“After you, oh prodigal one.” 

He acquiesced and crawled in beside Minkowski, who surprised him by wrapping her arms around him. At his look she said, primly, “Well, our new commanders told me to keep you close. I’m just following their orders.” 

“Fine by me, Commander,” he replied, a grin splitting his tired face. He burrowed against her as Lovelace joined them on his other side, resting a tentative hand on Eiffel’s back. 

“G-good night, everyone,” came Hera’s voice from the ceiling. She left the music playing but lowered the lights the rest of the way. 

Hilbert drew closer, resting against the wall at the end of the bed, arms crossed, chin resting on his chest. “Thank you,” he said, so quietly that the three in the bed barely heard him. “For letting me stay here.” 

“Don’t make us live to regret it,” Isabel muttered against Doug’s ear. He felt a little huff of air ruffle his hair - the result of Minkowski’s quiet laugh - and smiled over his shoulder at the captain. 

“We’ve got you covered, Cap. Safety in numbers, even in bed. Uh. I mean...” 

“Don’t give yourself an aneurysm, Doug. Not going to hurt you. Get some sleep.” 

At this, Doug sighed contentedly and snuggled in between his friends. “You guys are kind of the best, you know that?” He went quiet for a moment and then continued, softly, “This is the first time I’ve felt safe closing my eyes since Kepler dragged me out of my tin can o' nightmares. Because I know when I wake up, you’ll actually be here. And I won’t be cold anymore.” 

Lovelace squeezed her eyes shut at the burst of unexpected pain that shot through her at his words. Sliding an arm around his waist, she nestled closer to him and pressed her cheek against his back. Minkowski tightened her arms around him and quietly dropped a kiss on the top of his head. 

“We’ll be here, Doug. I promise.”


End file.
